PSN Review – .detuned

November 18, 2009Written by Joseph Peterson

.detuned was developed by .theprodukkt of demoscene fame, and is uite possibly one of the weirdest titles to ever grace the PSN. The premise is simple: use the in game music, or your own personal music, to make visual art within the game. But is this “art” worth your hard earned cash?

Like mentioned above, the premise of the game is very simple. Interactions on the controller will cause the character to do different things within the environment as the music continues to play. The environment itself will move to the music as well. This is pretty entertaining the first time playing the game, but so are a lot of things within this title.

Some of the things that the character and the environment do include the character changing into an elephant, and the environment becoming ghostly. Many of the modes can also be combined through combinations of buttons being pressed. Changing the effects will also change the sound of the song that is being played at the moment. For example, during the mode where your character’s head can be turned into a balloon, the song will sound fuzzy and distorted.

The artwork of the game is rather impressive; one of the strong points of the title. The art is an experience in and of itself, and it is actually quite impressive how everything is tied together within the game. For everything to fit in together with whatever type/genre of music that you choose to play during your playthrough is great.

While it is fun to mess around with the game initially, the experience wears off rather fast. I unlocked all the trophies within the first playthrough in a matter of maybe 10 minutes total. Yes, I understand that the title is only $2.99, which is a great price point. The trophies are easy, and likely to be unlocked within your first time playing. It’s not that it is a bad game or a bad experience, it’s just that the game will leave you asking yourself whether you just wasted your money or not and make you wish there was more to it.